Cook Forest Half Marathon & 5K

The deep woods trails alongside the cool, green Clarion River in northwestern Pennsylvania are the setting for the Cook Forest Half Marathon, a USA Track & Field-certified event which takes place every spring in this 6,668-acre state park, often called the “Black Forest” of Pennsylvania by locals.

Located just a little over 30 miles north of the town of Punxsutawney, of “Groundhog Day” fame, the park features a 27-mile trail system through its plentiful hills and mountains and is open year-round for hiking, camping, swimming, canoeing in the warm-weather months, and cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sledding and other cold-weather recreational activities in the winter.